Dressed Almond and Mastiha Paximadia

Paximadia are a staple and can be found in most greek households. They are double-baked so last a very long time in the cupboard. Can be made unsweetened with stoneground flour ( my mothers version ) or sweetened a little by adding 1 part freshly squeezed orange juice to 1 part olive oil and using standard bakers flour. Sweetened this way they have no added processed sugars. They won’t let you down if you like not to have pre-packaged biscuits in the home these are perfect as well. Dress them up or down according to your taste. This recipe has a little mastiha and a rind of one orange.

These particular ones are dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with flaked almonds.

Ingredients

2 cups plain flour

2 eggs

1/4 cup raw almonds

5g Mastiha Chios found in good deli stores or 1 tblspn vanilla

1 rind of orange

1/2 cup olive oil

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup orange juice

Place the olive oil, orange rind, orange juice and cracked eggs in a bowl and beat until well mixed and light.

With a wooden spoon mix to start with but you will probably need to use your hands as it forms a dough. Add the raw almonds ( with skin on ) and kneed the mixture with your hands.

On a lightly floured surface roll the dough into a log shape. With an oiled knife make cuts 1/4 of the way down.

Place onto greased pan and cook in 180 degree celsius for 1/2 hour depending on how thick your log is. When they are ready, they can be eaten before double baking but will be soft in the middle.

When cool, cut along cut marks and place in the baking dish standing – each side exposed to heat and not touching other biscuits. This will ensure they bake through evenly. Cook in very low heat ( 70 degrees for 30 mins ) until they are not soft in the middle.

Let them cool and store into an air tight container.

Optional

250g Good quality cooking Chocolate. Either dark or milk.

200g flaked almonds.

Break chocolate and place into a heatproof bowl.

Sit over a pan of barely simmering hot water, and allow chocolate to melt.

Dip each double-baked paximadi into melted chocolate. Half way down each biscuit.

Sprinkle flaked almonds. Let them cool and store into an air tight container.